SINABI ni Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Loyzaga na posibleng umabot sa P7 bilyon ang halaga ng pinsala sa marine habitat gaya ng fisheries, mangroves, coral at seagrass bunsod ng oil spill sa Oriental Mindoro.
“For the DENR, we actually calculated what could be exposed by way of coral reefs, seagrasses, mangroves, and fisheries, the possible exposure area for us is about P7 billion. What we have to do now is verify on the ground, how much of these risks have actually been touched by the oil, how many of the mangroves have been actually destroyed, how much of these seagrasses have actually affected,” pahayag ni Loyzaga.
Tinatayang aabot sa 26,000 mangingisda ang apektado ng oil spill dala ng paglubog ng MT Princess Empress sa karagatan na sakop ng Mindoro Oriental.
Kasabay nito, sinagot ni Loyzaga ang mga kritisismo kaugnay ng umano’y kabiguan ng DENR na habulin ang may-ari ng MT Princess Empress.
“There is an interagency group that is led by DOJ (Department of Justice) so we are able to do as far as the DENR is concerned is submit our data to actually come up with that claim. We are not the lead in filing the claim. It is the DOJ, interagency group that is putting together all these impact and valuing it and making that claim,” aniya.
